Farm Raised. Farm Proud: Jared Plair

Farm Raised. Farm Proud: Jared Plair

Jared Plair serves counties in District 8 on the Florida Farm Bureau State Young Farmers and Ranchers Leadership Committee. Counties in his district include Glades, Hendry, Palm Beach, Collier, Broward and Dade.

The twenty-six year old is from LaBelle and is active in Farm Bureau at the local level as well as the state level. Plair serves as secretary of the Hendry/Glades County Farm Bureau (HGCFB) Board of Directors, chair of the HGCFB Young Farmers and Ranchers Committee and is a technical advisor on FFB’s Sugar Advisory Committee.

Plair is a farm manager for the United States Sugar Corporation where he manages more than 18,000 acres of farmland, primarily sugar, daily.

He is a graduate of Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College where he received a bachelor’s degree in diversified agriculture. Currently, Plair is working on obtaining a M.B.A. from Warner University.

“My passion for agriculture really came to light in middle school when I began working for a local citrus producer,” he said. “That passion was broadened as I reached my high school years while working for various cattle operations in Hendry/Glades County.”

Agriculture was a natural fit for Plair’s future given his involvement and work experience at a young age. He explained that networking with other farmers and ranchers has been one of Farm Bureau’s greatest rewards.

“Through Florida Farm Bureau I’ve been able to meet and build relationships with people across the state,” he said. “People who are involved in various other industries, but who face obstacles similar to the ones we face in South Florida.”

Each year in October, HGCFB holds its annual meeting. “This dinner brings people together,” he said. “It gives everyone a chance to catch up with one another and see other members of the county Farm Bureau that wouldn’t normally get to see otherwise.”